FAQs

Who started El Sistema?

The founder of El Sistema, and still its leader, is the Venezuelan musician and economist José Antonio Abreu, a true visionary of our time. He has a clear and powerful vision of music’s life-transformative potential for needy children, and his goal is to extend this opportunity to every Venezuelan child.

How many children are involved in El Sistema?

In Venezuela right now, there are over 500,000 children in El Sistema, learning music and playing together in ensembles. There are many thousands more in other Latin American countries. In the U.S. we now have about 8,000 – 10,000 children in El Sistema-inspired programs – a good start, and the El Sistema movement is spreading rapidly across the country.

Is El Sistema in other parts of the world?

Maestro Abreu’s idea took root in a number of Latin American countries over the last several decades, including Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile. In recent years it has spread rapidly across the world, and there are now Sistema-inspired programs in over sixty countries, on every continent except Antarctica.

How can playing music together really keep poor kids away from drugs and gang violence?

El Sistema works because it immerses children in an alternative world, every day for several hours – a world where they have a deep sense of belonging to a community where they are needed and valued. The same longing to belong which can propel young people toward gangs is much more deeply satisfied in the community of an orchestra.

Do children audition to get into El Sistema? Do they have to pay?

No, there are no auditions and the program is free or for a nominal fee. It’s for any child who wants to join.

If El Sistema takes anyone and everyone, regardless of talent, how does it happen that their top orchestras are as good as many conservatory and professional orchestras?

Even though El Sistema is open and accessible to everyone, musical excellence is a top priority at every level; standards are set very high, and children are expected to work very hard to achieve them. This hard work toward high aspiration is a key element of El Sistema: it not only produces great music but also creates the opportunity for each child to experience self-discipline, tenacity, and mastery.

Is El Sistema a program initiated by the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez?

No, El Sistema began thirty-seven years ago. José Antonio Abreu has been able to win government support through a succession of seven different regimes, from far left to far right. The program is not about politics; it is about the wellbeing of children and youth.

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THE ENSEMBLE: A NEWSLETTER FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN EL SISTEMA MOVEMENT

The Ensemble is a free online monthly newsletter with feature articles and news items about the El Sistema movement, edited by Tricia Tunstall and published by Eric Booth. For a free subscription to The Ensemble newsletter, please email theensemblenl@gmail.com.

Archived copies of the Ensemble newsletters are available by clicking on the links below.